Pure Parents

Question:

well, if it makes ya all feel any better, my daughter calls me the triple M……Meanest Mom in Maryland!  LOL!  Gee, who’da thunk I was such a meanie for wanting her to do such things as brush her teeth and take a bath! hehehe

Response:

I had a really nice cat and some rabbits when I was little. I had nice parents too.  If you compare them to the Manson family…   I"M Kidding!!!!!!  My rents were/are great Laura   — Wicked Witch of the Net — You’re the cilantro in my salsa, The Cuban in my cigar, the sugar in my tea and the Oompa in my Loompa — Marvelous Momma to Magnificent Melissa {Age 4.5} And Awesome AJ {Born March 18 1999}

Response:

My parents were a combo of both the "meanest" and "nicest" parent pieces posted. They were strict, much more strict than most of my peers parents. They had to know who we were with, what we were doing, where we would be and when we would be back. Being later than 5 minutes without a phone call would get us grounded 1 day for every minute unless it was totally out of our control (i.e. when we were teens and got caught in traffic or when we were with a friends parent and they confirmed why we were late.) As for food, we ate what was served or we went hungry. Mom and Dad ran a family kitchen not a resturant. They let us help with the shopping and the cooking so we had some input. Chores were a normal part of live, and taught us how to take care of our own homes when we grew up. Home-Ec was not a nessisary class for either myself or sister, heck we could have taught the class! LOL By our freshman yr in high school we could cook balanced meals, clean every room in the house, fix a hem, change a tire, add oil to the car or jump the battery, balance a check book, write a family budget and just about anything else our parents could do except driving. We were not allowed to "car date" until we were sixteen, but we could go on "group dates." Mom always figured there was safty in numbers until we were a bit older and more confident. She always made sure we had "phone money" in case we needed her and Dad always would slip us "cab money" if we didn’t want to wait for them to come pick us up. They made the house rules (after all it was their house), but they always explained them and we were allowed to object and renegochate them. Funny how most of our friends thought my parents were the coolest around, but the kids who turned out to be the ones arrested, pregnant at 15 or just general trouble makers were the ones who thought Mom and Dad were "mean." My sister and I have grown into happy, well adjusted, law abiding, moral adults who hope to be as good at parenting as our wonderful parents. Liz

Response:

I just have to respond to this post to inform you that you are not the meanest mom in the whole wide world.  I’ve personally been holding that title.  It cracked me up to see someone else tagged with the same thing!!  Ha-Ha!! Michelle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->How on earth did you survive that experience???  My kids swear they are >going to die before they turn 18 cuz *I* am the meanest mom in the world >Debbie

Response:

Whoa!  Hey Michelle..We can be "Co-Meanies"!!   Reminds me of the new Austin Powers flick "Dr Evil and Mini-me"!  *LOL* Debbie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I just have to respond to this post to inform you that you are not the meanest >mom in the whole wide world.  I’ve personally been holding that title.  It >cracked me up to see someone else tagged with the same thing!!  Ha-Ha!! >Michelle >How on earth did you survive that experience???  My kids swear they are >going to die before they turn 18 cuz *I* am the meanest mom in the world >Debbie

Response:

This is very nice. Marie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I had the nicest parents in the world. Thier goal was always to make us >more self-sufficient as people. If we kids had a fundamental >disagreement with something they wanted, we presented our reasons, they >presented thiers, and where possible compromise was reached. >If occassionaly we had crap for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner, that >was OK, as long as it didn’t become an everyday kind of thing. And >while there were chores, they weren’t just things that our parents >thought up to make us do, they were things that actually needed doing, >and we shared in the benefits. >They always wanted us to tell the truth, and they earned that from us >by always telling us the truth in turn. By the time we were teenagers, >they had come to trust our choices of friends, often commenting "Your >friends are always so sharp, you guys have good taste." My parents >never set arbitrary age-limits for things. When it came time for us to >start dating, they made sure we were prepared for the responsibilities >of it, and they did it by considering the young adults we had become, >not by comparing our age with a predetermined number. >Because of our parents we missed out on a lot of things other kids >experienced. We rarely complained about our parents rules or decisions >to other kids, because we understood the reasons for them. However, it >seemed that all around us, other children were often profoundly unhappy >with their parents. The parents would set rules that were too >arbitrary, or too strict, and the kids took away the lesson that rules >were made for breaking. Several of them got caught shoplifting, >vandalizing other’s property, or even arrested. >Sometimes others would pressure us to do things like that, but because >we had been raised to make our own decisions, we never joined in. To >this day, I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, and I directly attribute >it to the lessons of my parents. >Sundays were days off, and as atheists, we never went to church once. >Lessons in ethics and morality were taught when circumstances were >appropriate to the lesson, not at a particular weekly time. Saturday >was a good day to ask to spend the night with a friend, because it >wouldn’t interfere with a school day the next morning. Now that we have >left home, we are all moral, educated, honest adults. >We are doing the best to be parents like ours were. When I think back >on the job our parents did of raising us, the word "mean" doesn’t ever >pop up, and we’re doing our best to make sure that our children don’t >think of us as mean either. >Sadyly, there are too many people in the world who will be mean to our >kids for us to want to be counted among thier number. >– >Glenn Loos-Austin >Clotho Internet Consulting, Inc.

Response:

How on earth did you survive that experience???  My kids swear they are going to die before they turn 18 cuz *I* am the meanest mom in the world Debbie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >We had the meanest mother in the whole world!  While other kids ate candy >for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.  When others had a >Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. >And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from other >kids had too. >Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times.  You’d think we were >convicts in a prison.  She had to know who our friends were, and what we >were doing with them.  She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an >hour, we would be gone for an hour or less. >We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the "Child Labor >Laws" by making us work.  We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to >cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, and all sorts of cruel jobs.  I think >she would lay awake at night thinking of more things for us to do. >She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing >but the truth.  By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds, and >life was really tough.  She wouldn’t let our friends just honk the horn when >they drove up.  They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. >While everyone else could date when they were >12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16. >Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids >experienced.  None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing >other’s property, or ever arrested for any crime.  It was all her fault. >We never got drunk, took up smoking, stayed out all night, or a million >other things other kids did. >Sundays were reserved for church, and we never missed once.  We knew better >than to ask to spend the night with a friend on Saturdays.  Now that we have >left home, we are all God-fearing, educated, honest adults. >We are doing our best to be mean parents just like our mom was. >The world just doesn’t have enough mean moms anymore.

Response:

We had the meanest mother in the whole world!  While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.  When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from other kids had too. Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times.  You’d think we were convicts in a prison.  She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them.  She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less. We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the "Child Labor Laws" by making us work.  We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, and all sorts of cruel jobs.  I think she would lay awake at night thinking of more things for us to do. She always insisted on us telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds, and life was really tough.  She wouldn’t let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up.  They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16. Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced.  None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other’s property, or ever arrested for any crime.  It was all her fault. We never got drunk, took up smoking, stayed out all night, or a million other things other kids did. Sundays were reserved for church, and we never missed once.  We knew better than to ask to spend the night with a friend on Saturdays.  Now that we have left home, we are all God-fearing, educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like our mom was. The world just doesn’t have enough mean moms anymore.

Response:

I had the nicest parents in the world. Thier goal was always to make us more self-sufficient as people. If we kids had a fundamental disagreement with something they wanted, we presented our reasons, they presented thiers, and where possible compromise was reached. If occassionaly we had crap for breakfast, or lunch, or dinner, that was OK, as long as it didn’t become an everyday kind of thing. And while there were chores, they weren’t just things that our parents thought up to make us do, they were things that actually needed doing, and we shared in the benefits. They always wanted us to tell the truth, and they earned that from us by always telling us the truth in turn. By the time we were teenagers, they had come to trust our choices of friends, often commenting "Your friends are always so sharp, you guys have good taste." My parents never set arbitrary age-limits for things. When it came time for us to start dating, they made sure we were prepared for the responsibilities of it, and they did it by considering the young adults we had become, not by comparing our age with a predetermined number. Because of our parents we missed out on a lot of things other kids experienced. We rarely complained about our parents rules or decisions to other kids, because we understood the reasons for them. However, it seemed that all around us, other children were often profoundly unhappy with their parents. The parents would set rules that were too arbitrary, or too strict, and the kids took away the lesson that rules were made for breaking. Several of them got caught shoplifting, vandalizing other’s property, or even arrested. Sometimes others would pressure us to do things like that, but because we had been raised to make our own decisions, we never joined in. To this day, I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs, and I directly attribute it to the lessons of my parents. Sundays were days off, and as atheists, we never went to church once. Lessons in ethics and morality were taught when circumstances were appropriate to the lesson, not at a particular weekly time. Saturday was a good day to ask to spend the night with a friend, because it wouldn’t interfere with a school day the next morning. Now that we have left home, we are all moral, educated, honest adults. We are doing the best to be parents like ours were. When I think back on the job our parents did of raising us, the word "mean" doesn’t ever pop up, and we’re doing our best to make sure that our children don’t think of us as mean either. Sadyly, there are too many people in the world who will be mean to our kids for us to want to be counted among thier number. — Glenn Loos-Austin Clotho Internet Consulting, Inc.

Response: